“Arise, O compatriots, Nigeria’s call obey
To serve our fatherland
With love and strength and faith.”
The keywords “love and strength and faith” are very vital in the national anthem. These words are being sung and chorused by our national leaders in every major meeting or gathering held. It’s more apparent now that they just say these words without meaning them.
How can the youths continuously cry for help about a system, and nothing is done? We raise our voices that the system is against us, but yet nothing is done! The question is, in whom’s interest is the government for? Their actions have answered this question long enough. They’re for themselves, their families, and their pockets.
How can a nation live in wickedness, fear, and uncertainty and the national anthem says to serve our father’s land with “love and strength”? Where do they want us to get our strengths from? A weak system that cannot even protect us? We are continuously bullied, unsafe, and live in fear! The people hate the system so much that they transfer that anger to their fellow citizens. We are tired and need answers, but No! The government has not proffered a reasonable solution.
The youths suffer every day from the wickedness of the so-called police, whose primary aim is to protect the lives and properties of citizens. Instead, they do the opposite. They oppress, harras, assault, extort, rape, and kills us! How long can we continue to live in a system that is not ready to change? Our leaders are not ready to listen! There is only so much the youths can take, OUR ACTIONS SAY THAT THE CHANGE IS NOW, AND THE OPPRESSION MUST STOP.
How is a system that is supposed to protect us fighting us? Why? We need answers, yet our government sits and watches tomorrow’s leaders die in the arms of these inhumane policemen. At this point, I think it is right not to call them the policemen or an extension of the police. We should call them OUR OPPRESSORS because, by action, that is all they have done. They oppress us and try to silence us, but you know what? we don’t back down as youths, because we’re tired and frustrated.
The second verse I want to point out in the national anthem is the part that says a “Nation bound with freedom, peace, and unity.” I doubt our leaders want peace and unity because if they really do, they will listen to the youth and the people’s cry and give us the freedom we deserve. Freedom to walk on the road without fear, freedom of movement, freedom of owning our properties, and living the lives some of us work hard for. I remember Abraham Lincoln’s definition of government says “government for the people by the people and of the people,” but this has never been the case in Nigeria! The youth are crying, stop killing us, stop harassing us; instead, they’re invading our privacy, checking our phones, extorting the money we work so hard to get.
A nation cannot be bound by peace and freedom in a system where the government refuses to listen. How do you sit in power and can’t use your power for good?!! We have so many unanswered questions.
The youths are calling; the system is degrading year by year; it gets worse. What is happening! No one is listening, but we will not stop. We will continue to use our voice and scream as loud as we can until they hear us. End SARS! Stop police brutality, we are tired, and we need peace. Let us recite the national anthem with confidence and know we’re speaking for the truth; at least it is still the same national anthem that says “helps our youths the truth to know” now, we know the truth, but we seek answers! Hear us now!
End SARS! End police brutality! We are tired!
